Biocomposite

Advocates of biocomposites state that use of these materials improve health and safety in their production, are lighter in weight, have a visual appeal similar to that of wood, and are environmentally superior.

It is a class of materials that can be easily processed, and thus, they are suited to a wide range of applications, such as packaging, building (roof structure, bridge, window, door, green kitchen), automobiles, aerospace, military applications, electronics, consumer products and medical industry (prosthetic, bone plate, orthodontic archwire, total hip replacement, and composite screws and pins).

Thus, many polymers as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are being used in wood composites industries.

For automotive interiors, Composites Evolution has performed prototype testing for the Land Rover Defender and the Jaguar XF, with the Defender's flax composite 60% lighter than the production counterpart at the same stiffness, and the XF's flax composite part 35% lighter than the production component at the same stiffness[9] In sports equipment, Ergon Bikes produced a concept saddle that won first place among 439 entries in the Accessories category at the Eurobike 2012, a major bicycling industry trade show.

In furniture, a team at Sheffield Hallam University designed a cabinet with entirely sustainable materials, including flax linen.

[16] In musical instruments, Blackbird Guitars has produced a ukulele made with flax linen that has won a number of design awards in the composites industry,[17][18][19][20] as well as a guitar[21] Green composites are classified as a biocomposite combined by natural fibers with biodegradable resins.

The properties of this biocomposite depends directly on the fibers counting their content, length, arrangement, and also the bonding to the matrix.

For consumer good applications, Trifilon has developed a number of hemp fiber biocomposites to replace conventional plastics.

Suitcases, chillboxes, mobile phone cases and cosmetic packaging have been produced using hemp fiber composites.